Guy
A Fixture
Planet member Bruno Schmaling, Submitted this Book Review on the Osprey Book, Comanche
Douglas V. Meed, Comanche 1800 – 1874
Osprey Publishing, 68 pages, Paperback
ca. 50 Photos und Drawings, 8 Colourpages
When the book was published, I was very curious for two reasons. My first reason is that twenty-five years ago, my father-in-law wrote the best selling German book on the German trek to Texas. In the research for this book, he found a good number of unpublished letters by German immigrants who described their relationship with the Comanche people. The second reason is that the University of Berlin had a long relationship with the Comanche, and its studies on Comanche culture and history are highly renowned in the scientific society.
Mr. Meed's book starts with a brief description of the weapons, the tactics and the horses of the Comanche. The main part of the book tells the story of the war against the Comanche people. It is interesting, that the author describes the peaceful relationship between the German settlers under the leadership of Baron von Meusebach and the Comanche people, a historical event that showed that the Comanche were willing to live in peace with white settlers, if they kept the treaties.
Unfortunately, the book very soon turned out to be much more the history of the war of the State of Texas against the Comanche people entirely written from the white point of view. There is nearly nothing written about the builders of Comanche society, the history of the different bands, and very little about their culture, mythology, rituals and beliefs and the role of the warrior. The book lacks a good description of the social life of the people, as well as anything specific about the development of cloth, dress or the material culture of the Comanche. Even a biography of the great chiefs is missing.
The author does not give me the feeling that he had the necessary sympathetic understanding or the needed in-depth knowledge of the Comanche people and their heritage. This is also shown by the ethnocentric sources he used as the bibliography. T.R. Fehrenbach's book Comanche is his main source and is heavy criticised by European historians and ethnologists for his racist tendencies. The other main source, James DeShild's book “Border Wars of Texas” is an historical document, but it was written by a dedicated Indian-hater and had to be used with care. It's hard to understand why the author did not use the fundamental works on the Comanche: Ernest Wallace and Adamson Hoebel's The Comanches, Jean Louis Berlandier's The Indians of Texas in 1830, Hermann Lehmann's Nine years among the Indians, Bill Neeley's The Last Comanche Chief, William T. Hagan's Quanah Parker or Margaret Schmidt Hacker's Cynthia Ann Parker.
The author also overrules white reports of the cruelties of the Comanche people without any critical reflections, despite the faithfulness of these reports being questioned in the new historical research. On the other hand, the killing and cruelties executed by white people against Comanche women and children and reports of white captives of the Comanche people who were treated in a good way are consequently swept under the carpet.
At the beginning of 1800, the Comanche numbered 8,000-10,000 members. Only 1,500 members survived the extermination through war and disease from the white man. The book could have been a chance to represent the great culture of this people and the development of their material culture during 70 years, which would be very interesting for the figurine painter, as well as to show a fair and balanced view towards the often defamed Comanche people and their sorrowful history. Unfortunately, all these chances were wasted. I’m very much disappointed about the quality of this book and give it only one star out of five.
Bruno Schmäling
Douglas V. Meed, Comanche 1800 – 1874
Osprey Publishing, 68 pages, Paperback
ca. 50 Photos und Drawings, 8 Colourpages
When the book was published, I was very curious for two reasons. My first reason is that twenty-five years ago, my father-in-law wrote the best selling German book on the German trek to Texas. In the research for this book, he found a good number of unpublished letters by German immigrants who described their relationship with the Comanche people. The second reason is that the University of Berlin had a long relationship with the Comanche, and its studies on Comanche culture and history are highly renowned in the scientific society.
Mr. Meed's book starts with a brief description of the weapons, the tactics and the horses of the Comanche. The main part of the book tells the story of the war against the Comanche people. It is interesting, that the author describes the peaceful relationship between the German settlers under the leadership of Baron von Meusebach and the Comanche people, a historical event that showed that the Comanche were willing to live in peace with white settlers, if they kept the treaties.
Unfortunately, the book very soon turned out to be much more the history of the war of the State of Texas against the Comanche people entirely written from the white point of view. There is nearly nothing written about the builders of Comanche society, the history of the different bands, and very little about their culture, mythology, rituals and beliefs and the role of the warrior. The book lacks a good description of the social life of the people, as well as anything specific about the development of cloth, dress or the material culture of the Comanche. Even a biography of the great chiefs is missing.
The author does not give me the feeling that he had the necessary sympathetic understanding or the needed in-depth knowledge of the Comanche people and their heritage. This is also shown by the ethnocentric sources he used as the bibliography. T.R. Fehrenbach's book Comanche is his main source and is heavy criticised by European historians and ethnologists for his racist tendencies. The other main source, James DeShild's book “Border Wars of Texas” is an historical document, but it was written by a dedicated Indian-hater and had to be used with care. It's hard to understand why the author did not use the fundamental works on the Comanche: Ernest Wallace and Adamson Hoebel's The Comanches, Jean Louis Berlandier's The Indians of Texas in 1830, Hermann Lehmann's Nine years among the Indians, Bill Neeley's The Last Comanche Chief, William T. Hagan's Quanah Parker or Margaret Schmidt Hacker's Cynthia Ann Parker.
The author also overrules white reports of the cruelties of the Comanche people without any critical reflections, despite the faithfulness of these reports being questioned in the new historical research. On the other hand, the killing and cruelties executed by white people against Comanche women and children and reports of white captives of the Comanche people who were treated in a good way are consequently swept under the carpet.
At the beginning of 1800, the Comanche numbered 8,000-10,000 members. Only 1,500 members survived the extermination through war and disease from the white man. The book could have been a chance to represent the great culture of this people and the development of their material culture during 70 years, which would be very interesting for the figurine painter, as well as to show a fair and balanced view towards the often defamed Comanche people and their sorrowful history. Unfortunately, all these chances were wasted. I’m very much disappointed about the quality of this book and give it only one star out of five.
Bruno Schmäling
